Auckland
November
Q.
Hi Tui, I have a small plot of garlic, about 50 plants, which have grown well and are about 450mm high but now seem to have been attacked by some sort of fungus disease that is turning all the leaves a rusty speckled orange colour. Is there any thing I can treat this with to save the plants?
Maurice Hinton
A.
Hi Maurice, it sounds like your garlic have rust which is a fungal disease that garlic is susceptible to. Some varieties are more resistant to rust than others, but weather conditions and the type of soil can contribute to rust.
It is best to plant garlic in a new position in the garden each season, crop rotation is important. Give bulbs plenty of space to grow and avoid planting too close together, this will improve air circulation around the plants. Ensure garlic is planted in well drained soil, heavy clay soils coupled with wet weather provide ideal conditions for rust to form. Avoid overhead watering at night as this increases humidity around the plants and creates an ideal environment for the rust to spread. Water early in the day so that the foliage has time to dry out. Plant fresh corms, not ones from last seasons crop that could have overwintering rust spores in the bulbs. Pick off the infected leaves when you first see signs, that can help slow the spread. Don’t compost infected plant material, remove infected foliage and dispose of in the rubbish or burn. Your local garden centre will be able to suggest a suitable spray to control rust, but with the above cultural practices you can reduce the chance of rust infecting your plants. The Tui Team.
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My garlic plants look like they have a disease, what could it be? Comments
My garlic leaves are turning yellow - definitely not rust as I have seen that in leeks before. They are planted in a different garden to where garlic, shallots, onions or leeks were planted last year.
Murray
Hi Murray, I think it is just the time of year being early spring, and nothing to be overly concerned about at the moment, especially if it is the lower leaves. They can be removed if you are concerned. Add organic matter, such as compost, to the soil surface and lightly fork into the soil, also feeding with Tui Seaweed and Fish will be beneficial, do this every 2-4 weeks to give your plants a boost. Seaweed & Fish contains nitrogen from fish emulsion to help green up the leaves, as well as humates to add organic matter to your soil and stimulate soil microbes which break down organic matter and release nutrients to plants. I hope this is helpful information.
Lianne